Difficulty Rating (one hammer is least difficult, four hammers is most difficult)
The mule chest combines the hinged top and storage well of a blanket chest with a single drawer borrowed from a chest of drawers.
In the early 19th century, such a practical piece might have been used in a child's room for storage. The example we found at Chattanooga's Houston Museum of Decorative Arts was made in Kentucky or Tennessee by an unknown artisan. It's the kind of honest, homespun piece that relied on proportion and the beauty of the wood, rather than ornate carving or fancy inlays.
Wide pine boards make the sides; semicircular cutouts form the bootjack feet. Half-round molding around the hinged top offers the only ornamentation.
The Mule Chest, from the Southern Furniture Collection, measures about 25 inches high, 23 inches wide, and a little more than 18 inches deep. That's a good size for an end table or bedside table.
To simplify construction, we've made use of a few modem tools and techniques, but only where they wouldn't compromise the simple elegance of the original piece. For example, we used joining biscuits instead of wooden pegs to attach the sides. And, because wide pine boards are almost impossible to find, we glued 1 x l0s together for the top, sides, and back.
For authenticity, we hand cut the dovetails used to join the drawer front and sides. It's actually easier than it looks, and only requires a small handsaw, sharp chisel, and patience.
